Trattoria 51

With cuisine coming from the Puglia region of Italy, Trattoria 51 has successful restaurants in both Southport and on Old Hall Street in the business district of Liverpool. The stylish aesthetic, high Victorian ceilings, warm service, and delicious simple food makes for a smashing environment.

The Vibe

A trattoria in Italy is an eating establishment that is somewhere in the middle between really casual and fast eateries and fine dining restaurants. The balance is perfect at Trattoria 51, and they have the elegant Old Hall Street building to thank for helping create the correct vibe – with the high ceilings and original Victorian ceilings adding a generous lavishness and elegance to proceedings, with the more casual service and simple Italian food on the menu. This balance can be seen in how Trattoria 51 welcomes those people who just fancy a cappuccino or a cocktail whilst sat at the bar, or a selection of small plates and antipasti (or the daytime Express Menu that offer a fast and tasty lunch for the busy professionals in this part of town), rather than a full sit-down meal, which can also be accommodated in the generous dining spaces, which include a mezzanine.

The Food

The Trattoria 51 menu is pretty extensive, and might be a little bit too extensive if you ask us, but everything on there is authentic Italian cuisine, and the execution of everything we’ve ever had here is to be applauded. Snacks include the obvious bread and oil, olives, dough sticks and garlic bread, with the starters stepping it up a notch with a homemade soup of the day, antipasto misto, and a selection of meats and cheeses, calamari, meatballs, and other tasty smaller plates. You are spoilt for choice for pizza, with everything from simple stone baked classics like margherita or diavola, up to more adventurous pizzas like Pizza 51. As you would expect from a classic Italian restaurant, the pasta section is giving and filling, including the classics like lasagne and spaghetti Bolognese. There is also an artisan pasta section of the menu with some fancier ingredients and delicate homemade touches.

The Price

Even the most expensive dishes on the extensive menu at Trattoria 51 will only set you back around £15. Most of the dishes are under a tenner, with most of the starters and small plates closer to a fiver. There are some delicious examples of food all over the menu, and even the Antipasto misto to share to start costs a fraction under a tenner. Fantastic value for traditional Puglian cuisine in a casual style.